The Power of Digital Storytelling

to Support Teaching and Learning

Bernard R. Robin

brobin@uh.edu

University of Houston, USA

Abstract

Although the term “digital storytelling” may not be familiar to all readers, over the last
twenty years, an increasing number of educators, students and others around the world
have created short movies by combining computer-based images, text, recorded audio
narration, video clips and music in order to present information on various topics. For more
than twelve years, faculty members and graduate students in the Learning, Design and
Technology Program at the University of Houston College of Education have been exploring
the use of digital storytelling to support both teaching and learning. In 2004, the author
established the Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling website
(http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu) to serve as a helpful resource for those interested in
learning how digital storytelling could be integrated into a variety of educational activities.
This paper presents an overview of how digital storytelling has and continues to be used to
support teaching and learning activities. In addition, recommendations and guidelines are
presented for educators who would like to teach students to use digital storytelling as an
educational endeavor.

Keywords

Digital Storytelling, Educational Technology, Teaching, Learning, Multimedia

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The Power of Digital Storytelling to Support Teaching and Learning

I. Introduction

This paper deals with the educational uses of digital storytelling and presents an overview of how
digital storytelling has and continues to be used to support teaching and learning. The first section
begins with a definition of what digital storytelling is and how it differs from other types of videos
found online. The next section focuses on how digital storytelling is being used to support teaching
and learning in education, as well as in other areas such as museums, community organizations
and healthcare institutions. Next, guidelines are presented that novice digital storytellers can follow
if they wish to use this technology practice. The paper concludes with a description of additional
resources that are available for those who want to learn more about digital storytelling.

What Is Digital Storytelling?

Digital storytelling combines the art of telling stories with a mixture of digital media, including text,
pictures, recorded audio narration, music and video. These multimedia elements are blended
together using computer software, to tell a story that usually revolves around a specific theme or
topic and often contains a particular point of view. Most digital stories are relatively, short with a
length of between 2 and 10 minutes, and are saved in a digital format that can be viewed on a
computer or other device capable of playing video files. In addition, digital stories are typically
uploaded to the interent where they may be viewed through any popular web browser. There are
many different types of digital stories, but the author has proposed classifying the major types into
the following three categories: 1) personal narratives - stories that contain accounts of significant
incidents in one’s life; 2) historical documentaries – stories that examine dramatic events that help
us understand the past, and 3) stories that inform or instruct the viewer on a particular concept or
practice (ROBIN, 2006).

Digital storytelling has steadily grown in popularity and is currently being practiced in a myriad of
locations, including schools, libraries, community centers, museums, medical and nursing schools,
businesses and more. In educational settings, teachers and students from kindergarten through
graduate school are creating digital stories on every topic imaginable, from art to zoology, and
numerous content areas in between. Digital storytelling has also become a worldwide phenomenon,
with practitioners from across the globe creating digital stories to integrate technology into the
classroom, support language learning, facilitate discussion, increase social presence, and more (Co-
Authors & Author, 2011).

How Digital Stories Differ from other Types of Videos

In today’s online environment, the lines between what is and what is not a digital story have
become blurred as more videos are shared online. In our experience teaching digital storytelling,
many students are confused when asked to define what a digital story is as well as discuss the
most important elements of a digital story. In an educational setting, it is reasonable to ask
questions of a video to help determine if it might be classified as a digital story. Some of the
questions that should be asked when viewing a video include:

• What is the topic and the main purpose of the video?

• Where was the video found?
• Who created it and when was it created?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Did the creator of the video narrate it?
• Does it contain a personal point of view?
• Does the content seem to be factual and presented in a fair and balanced manner?
• Does the video seem to have a specific agenda or message that is related to an institution,
business, or other type of organization?
• How long is the video?

On her Langwitches blog (http://langwitches.org/blog/), Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano (2015) discusses

what she believes digital storytelling is and what it is not. She writes that digital storytelling:

• is NOT about the tools… but IS about the skills…

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The Power of Digital Storytelling to Support Teaching and Learning

• is NOT about creating media, but IS about creating meaning…

• is NOT only about telling a story, but IS about contributing and collaborating…
• is NOT about telling an isolated story... but IS about sharing and connecting…
• is NOT only about the transfer of knowledge... but IS about the amplification…
• is NOT about substituting analog stories... but IS about transforming stories.

Much has been written regarding the personal nature of digital stories and that this personal, and
often emotional viewpoint is an essential element of digital storytelling, as expressed through a
first person narrative that includes a particular and personal point of view (e.g., see Lambert,
2002: Kajder, 2004; Ballast, 2007). Typical of this area of thought is Ohler’s (2005/2006)
observation that “through creating electronic personal narratives, students become active creators,
rather than passive consumers, of media” (p. 44), so that the digital storyteller is empowered with
the ability to communicate using various multimedia techniques.

Boase (2008) explores this topic through a slightly different lens, noting that students often find it
difficult to tell their stories in a personal manner for a variety of reasons, including challenges in
organizing and writing as well as cultural barriers to sharing personal experiences. She goes on to
question the validity of digital stories about non-personal topics, such as those related to content-
based subjects explored in the classroom.

Although, there may be different opinions on what constitutes a digital story, the term “everyone
has a story to tell” is repeatedly found in the literature on digital storytelling (Behmer, Schmidt, &
Schmidt, 2006; Landry & Guzdial, 2006; Xu, Park, & Baek, 2011) and this notion supports the
concept that people tell stories based on their life experiences using different lines of narrative that
reflect their culture, ethnicity, history, place in society, education and more (Nguyen, 2011). In this
paper, digital stories are defined as short personal stories created with digital technology tools that
are then are shared with others in order to present information, ideas and opinions on a range of
topics and themes.

II. How Digital Storytelling Supports Student Learning

Digital Storytelling can be a powerful educational tool for students at all ages and grade levels who
are tasked with creating their own stories. This use of digital storytelling capitalizes on the creative
talents of students as they begin to research and tell stories of their own, learn to use the library
and the internet to research rich, deep content while analyzing and synthesizing a wide range of
information and opinions. In addition, students who participate in the creation of digital stories
develop enhanced communication skills by learning to organize their ideas, ask questions, express
opinions, and construct narratives. Students who have the opportunity to share their work with
their peers may also gain valuable experience in critiquing their own and other students’ work,
which can promote gains in emotional intelligence, collaboration and social learning.

a. Digital Storytelling as an Instructional Tool in Early Childhood Education

In addition to asking students to watch digital stories created by others, digital storytelling can also
be used to empower younger students when they use computer technology and multimedia
resources to create their own stories that demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of
educational themes and concepts. Young people today are becoming more technologically savvy
and they are increasingly engaged by activities that take place on a computer screen. Even very
young students respond to and are motivated by creating computer-based materials, such as
digital stories, that allow them to demonstrate their knowledge of the topics they are exploring in
the classroom. One of the most important aspects of digital storytelling is that it can help make
learning more relevant for students. Digital storytelling can encourage creativity as well as give
students a voice as they use their stories to share their ideas and feelings with others.
A particular strength of the digital storytelling process is that it can be used to facilitate writing
through scripts and storyboards and promote student engagement and reflection. Shelby-Caffey,
Úbéda, and Jenkins (2014) describe a digital storytelling project that was used to teach fifth-grade
students about literary elements and literacy and the story writing process. These younger
students first participated in a shared reading of a novel and then used the digital storytelling

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process to create a movie based on that novel. One of the researchers who facilitated the project
described the results this way:

With one project, my students went from passive observers, learning what I told them to learn, to
active participants, taking control of their learning. The transformation was incredible and worth
every minute I spent on this project. This project turned out better than my wildest imagination. I
have repeated this project and others like it and will continue to use technology to transform
teaching and learning in my classroom. (p. 199)

Foley’s doctoral research study (2013) investigated a series of questions related to the use of
digital storytelling in primary grade classrooms, including: “How might digital storytelling influence
primary grade students’ perceptions of themselves as writers?” (Research Question 4, p. 55).
Foley’s results showed that first and second grade students who participated in digital storytelling
began to perceive themselves as more competent writers, were motivated to work on and
complete their stories, and felt empowered by using computers to enhance their stories with
multimedia. In addition, some students were able to use the digital storytelling assignment to tap
into other creative talents such as creating their own visual images, taking photographs for their
stories and adding colors, transitions and recorded narration.

The co-authors and the author corroborated Foely’s findings in a research study (2014) that
investigated the benefits and challenges resulting from a group of pre-school teachers who worked
with even younger kindergarten-age students to create digital stories. Using a guided practice
model, these teachers helped very young students complete a variety of tasks that included
selecting appropriate story topics, discussing story elements, creating artwork and collaboratively
developing the final digital stories. The teachers in this study reported that students who
participated in a digital storytelling activity behaved better in class, had an increase in self-
confidence and displayed greater interest in the subjects they were learning.

b. Digital Storytelling as an Instructional Tool in in Secondary and Post-Secondary

Education

For older students, digital storytelling is particularly well suited to the constructivist classroom
where these students are able to construct their own meaning through the multi-faceted
experience of selecting a story topic, conducting research on the topic, writing a script, collecting
images, recording audio narration and using computer-based tools to construct the final story. The
result is a multimedia artifact that richly illustrates not only what the student has researched and
brought to life, but also what they have learned from the experience.

Benmayor (2008) believes that digital storytelling empowers students in a variety of ways,
including intellectually, culturally and creatively. After they have designed and created a digital
story, new insights are gained through this summative assignment.

I ask students to engage in an intellectual reflection that theorizes the story and the
process of making it. They are asked to examine how their story (both the narrative and
visual texts) fits into larger concepts, theories and cultural logics we read in the class, and
to explain what understanding or insight they draw about their own identities and lives. (p.
190)

Gregori-Signs (2014) contends that digital storytelling allows students to “evaluate the reality that
surrounds them and produce their own interpretation of it. This certainly contributes to the
acquisition of knowledge-based skills and interaction with the physical world; social and citizen
skills, and cultural skills” (p. 247). In their research, Smeda, Dakich and Sharda (2014) found that
digital storytelling’s ability to personalize students’ learning experiences supported student
diversity, improved students’ confidence and enhanced their social and psychological skills.

In his search to identify the best way to engage undergraduate and graduate students, Berk’s
(2009) research identified a set of 20 characteristics of the “net generation” – those students who
grew up within a digital culture, and have continuous access to a wide variety of technologies. He
then addresses how educators can tailor their teaching strategies to match the characteristics of

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these learners. In Table 1, more than half of the identified learner characteristics are shown in the
first column followed in the second column by suggested teaching strategies that could be used to
complement these learning styles. The third column contains this author’s opinion of how digital
storytelling supports these learner characteristics and corresponding teach strategies.

Learner Teaching How Digital Storytelling

Characteristic
Technology savvy
Relies on search engines for
information
Interested in multimedia
Creates internet content
Learns by inductive discovery
Learns by trial and error
Short attention span
Communicates visually
Emotionally open
Feels pressure to succeed
Constantly seeks feedback
Strategy
Incorporate technology meaningfully
into class activities and assignments.
Provide assignments that allow
students to use search engines, but
also critically assess the information
they find.
Include music, videos, and other media
in assignments.
Allow students to contribute to
websites, blogs, wikis, and create
YouTube videos.
Provide opportunities for students to be
kinesthetic, experiential, hands-on
learners.
Allow students to test their own
strategies for solving problems and
take control of their own learning.
Let students use technology to move at
their own pace.
Allow students to use images, videos
and other visual representations in
assignments.
Encourage personal interaction and
opinion sharing.
Tap students’ multiple intelligences and
emphasize deep learning experiences
and critical thinking.
Provide opportunities for both positive
and negative constructive feedback.
Supports This
Digital stories can be used as class
activities and/or class
assignments.
Search engines can be used to
research digital story topics, locate
images, music, video clips that can
be included in the story.
Digital stories contain a mix of
music, video clips and other
media.
Digital stories can be uploaded to
blogs, wikis, and other websites,
including YouTube.
Creating a digital story is a hands-
on, experiential process.
Digital storytelling allows students
to solve problems and take control
of their own learning.
Digital storytelling lets students
use technology at their own pace.
Digital stories contain a mix of
images, video clips and other
visual representations.
Many of the most powerful digital
stories include a personal point of
view.
Creating a digital story allows
students to be creative and
critically reflect on what they have
learned.
Incorporating peer feedback in the
digital storytelling process gives
students an opportunity to
improve their work.

Table 1. How Digital Storytelling Supports Learner Characteristics and Teaching Strategies
Source: Compiled by author

This author has written (ROBIN, 2008) that when students are able to create their own digital
stories, they gain valuable skills and literacies designated by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills
(2004). These literacies are shown in Table 2.

Digital literacy
Global literacy
Technology literacy
Visual literacy
Information literacy
The ability to communicate with an ever-expanding community to discuss issues,
gather information, and seek help.
The capacity to read, interpret, respond, and contextualize messages from a global
perspective.
The ability to use computers and other technology to improve learning,
productivity, and performance.
The ability to understand, produce, and communicate through visual images.
The ability to find, evaluate, and synthesize information.
Table 2. 21st Century Skills and Literacies
Source: Compiled by author

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The Power of Digital Storytelling to Support Teaching and Learning

Garcia and Rossiter (2010) suggest adding to this list three other learning outcomes that result
when students share digital stories they create. They feel that these additional outcomes shown in
Table 3 are important for today’s learners who will become “tomorrow’s citizens” (p. 1095).

Empathy and perspective-taking Shared digital stories allow viewers to share the experiences
of the storyteller and enlarge their own perspectives.
Self-understanding Shared digital stories invite self-reflection and allow the
storytellers to see themselves in new ways.
Community-building Shared digital stories facilitate connections with others and
through shared experiences.

Table 3. Garcia and Rossiter’s Learning Outcomes the Result from Sharing Digital Stories
Source: Compiled by author

Digital storytelling can also be used in secondary and post-secondary classrooms as a means of
combining content area knowledge with social awareness. In their work with college-level visual
anthropology students, Fletcher and Cambre (2009) use digital storytelling assignments that allow
students to create visual narratives that tap into their intellectual and creative abilities to present
their understanding of the course material, as well as their sense of the social complexities in which
they reside. They have found that digital storytelling can be a powerful classroom practice when
used “as a pedagogical tool (that) brings the creator/student and the viewer together in a dialogue
around the nature of representation, meaning, and authority embedded in imagery and narrative”
(p. 115).

In addition to having students create digital stories as a distinct stand-alone activity, students
might also be encouraged to develop instructional materials that can be used to support the
educational topics and themes of the digital stories they produce. These educational resources can
include links to additional readings and websites, external media such as podcasts, interviews or
other videos, quizzes, lesson plans, definitions, and other materials that can be used to make the
digital story the starting point for further exploration. Under the direction of the instructor,
students might work collaboratively in pairs, small groups, or as a whole-class in the design and
development of such supplemental educational materials. An example of a digital story that
includes these types of educational materials may be viewed online at:
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/view_story.cfm?vid=397&categoryid=16&d_title=History

III. Digital Storytelling in Other Areas

a. Museums and Other Community Organizations

Museums, including ones that focus on art, science and cultural heritage, are finding that digital
storytelling can be an effective method to capture the attention of visitors who have numerous
alternatives for leisure activities that can both entertain and instruct. Ioannidis et al. (2013)
provide examples of how digital storytelling is being used in museums to provide information about
items in exhibitions, answering questions about the exhibits, as well as engaging museum visitors
of different age groups, cultural backgrounds, and expertise in the subjects being presented.
Museums are finding that the use of digital storytelling to support exhibitions and artworks can also
lead to other innovative uses of technology, such as mobile devices and augmented reality, to
extend the museum visitor experience.

Community and non-profit organizations can also use digital storytelling as an effective way to
engage audiences and gain support for their causes. Because digital stories can be shared online,
they can help community organizations advance their missions by effectively engaging larger
audiences. Emotionally powerful digital stories can be used to raise awareness, motivate and
inspire viewers, provide opportunities to focus on key problems and potential solutions and
contribute to public dialogue (Rockefeller Foundation, 2014).

Iseke and Moore (2011) describe another type of community in which digital storytelling is being
practiced: by indigenous groups of elders and youth. A collaborative project between young people
and elders in indigenous communities focuses on blending modern technology with traditional oral
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The Power of Digital Storytelling to Support Teaching and Learning

storytelling to create digital versions of stories that had previously been handed down to selected
individuals within the community. This type of digital storytelling, “created by and for indigenous
communities, addresses change, reflects community knowledge and perspectives, and enables
negotiation of the community’s social priorities. It creates opportunities to understand political
activism and reflects the cultural mandates of communities” (p. 32). This is but one of many
examples of this type of digital storytelling that can be found through online searching.

b. Health Sciences

In health sciences, digital storytelling can be a tool for patients, families and health science
professionals to share experiences, cope with illnesses, and add a human element to health serious
problems. For example, community digital storytelling workshops can be used to empower
survivors to create digital stories that reflect on their health conditions as well as provide authentic
ways for others to learn how to cope with various diseases. Hardy and Sumner (2014), detail
descriptions of patients creating digital stories on living with health condition such as arthritis, the
personal impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the therapeutic nature of digital
stories as a healing tool for patients with mental health conditions, and patients and caregivers co-
producing digital stories that depict the difficulties of living with early-stage dementia. In addition,
their book provides examples of how digital stories can be used as data in both qualitative and
quantitative research, as well as the focus of team building and professional development in
healthcare settings. Numerous other health-related projects, such as those shown in Table 4, may
be found online that demonstrate how patients and family members are sharing digital stories on a
wide variety of health conditions and diseases.

Finding Our Way http://www.mhima.org.au/finding-our-way

Health Equity Change Makers http://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/changemakers/
Nurstory http://milehighstories.com/?page_id=21
Patient Voices http://www.patientvoices.org.uk
San Mateo County Health System http://www.smchealth.org/bhrs/ode/stories

Table 4. Health-Related Digital Storytelling Projects

Source: Compiled by author

IV. Digital Storytelling Guidelines for Educators

For educators who would like to begin teaching digital storytelling, a 12-step process that students
can follow is presented in Table 5.

Step 1: Begin by thinking of the purpose of the story. Are you trying to inform,
Choose a Topic convince, provoke, question? Who is the audience?
Step 2: You can use online search engines, but don’t forget that the library can also
Conduct Research on the be a useful research tool.
Topic
Step 3: This will serve as the audio narration for your story. Read aloud what you
Write the First Draft of have written. Make sure that the purpose of the story is clearly articulated
the Script and includes an identifiable point of view.
Script Writing Tip 1: You are writing a script for a digital story which is typically only a few minutes
Keep Your Script Small and long. Focusing on a specific problem or topic will help you create a better
Focused digital story.
Script Writing Tip 2: Your digital story is unique. It is your story, and the audience will want to
Make it Personal hear it from your perspective. You may even need to reveal personal details
in the story to reach an emotional depth, although it is up to you to decide
what details you wish to share with others.
Script Writing Tip 3: Most stories consist of three parts: a beginning, middle, and end. The
Understand the Story Arc beginning is where you set the scene and begin the plot. The middle is where
you provide more details about the topic or problem you are trying to explain.
The story should be building towards a climax or resolution. The end is where
the questions are resolved. Will new knowledge make you stronger? Will you
now be able to accomplish greater things? What happens next in your life?
These questions will be answered and new insight will be revealed. The
conclusion of your story should connect back to the beginning to form a
thematic arc.

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Step 4: Share your script with others and ask them to give you feedback on what
Receive Feedback on the they thought might make your story clearer or more useful.
Script
Step 5: Use the feedback you received to improve the next version of your script.
Revise the Script Script writing is an iterative process and it takes several attempts to get good
results.
Step 6: Use an online search tool specifically for images, such as Google Image
Find, Create and Search. You can search for photographs, drawings, clip art, maps, charts, and
Add Images more. Don’t forget that you can use photos you take yourself with a digital
camera.
Step 7: Look for material that is in the public domain or has a Creative Commons
Respect Copyrights license.
Step 8: The storyboard is a written or a graphical overview of all of the elements you
Create a Storyboard plan to include in the digital story. It serves as a blueprint or an advanced
organizer as you plan to construct your digital story. Storyboards can help
you visualize your story before it is created when it is easier to make changes
or add new content.
Step 9: Try to use a high-quality microphone or a voice recording app on a
Record Audio Narration smartphone.
Step 10: Music that is appropriate to the theme of the story can add richness by
Add Background Music complementing the narration. There are many great sites online, such as
(optional) Jamendo.com that provide copyright-free music at no cost.
Step 11: Select the software tool you will use to create your digital story.
Build the Digital Story
Step 12: Share your digital story online at locations such as YouTube, Google Drive,
Publish the Digital Story Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.

Table 5. A 12-Step Process for Digital Storytelling

Source: Compiled by author

Several authors and educators and have proposed their own version of the digital storytelling
process (e.g., see Jakes & Brennan, 2005; Lambert, 2007; Morra, 2013; Ohler, 2008) and many
common elements may be found in each one.

Analysis Phase: Educators help students identify an instructional goal and analyze aspects of the digital
story related to the topic and script, as well as consider the potential audience for the story.
Distinguish the characteristics of an educational digital story.
Analyze the audience and develop the digital story script accordingly.
Choose an interesting topic and add a personal connection
Design Phase: Educators help students complete the script and storyboard for the design of the
story as well as collect and organize appropriate media such as images, audio and video.
Recognize the importance of a detailed script.
Create a detailed storyboard before work on the actual creation begins.
Organize all of the digital story materials.
Use visually interesting images that support and strengthen the story.
Be inventive in creating useful images.
Use the highest quality images available.
Address issues of copyright and fair use.
Development Phase: Educators help students use technology hardware and software to build the story.
Record high quality audio.
Use text to add meaningful titles and credits.
Be thoughtful about the use of additional multimedia elements.
Use appropriate file names for images and other media.
Edit a copy of the file, rather than the original file.
Save files early and often–and in more than one location.
Save the final version of the digital story in multiple formats.
Implementation Phase: Educators help students plan how the story will be used and create additional
resources including lesson plans, handouts, and other supporting materials.
Develop educational materials to supplement the digital story.
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Evaluation Phase: Educators use a variety of measures to determine if the students achieved the goal for
the digital story project or need to revise the story and supplemental materials based on this input.
Provide useful and supportive feedback to others’ scripts in the design phase and drafts in the
development phase.
Involve students in evaluation throughout the entire process.

Table 6. Digital Storytelling Guidelines for Educators Based on the ADDIE Design Model
Source: Compiled by author

For those just starting to explore the practice of digital storytelling, asking students to create a
simple digital story based on a single picture or photograph can be a productive starting point. In
an example the author uses with his own students, an old family photograph taken in the 1920s
was the basis for a single-image digital story. First, a script was written about the people who
appear in the photograph as well as details that can be observed. Next, online search tools were
used to investigate different items seen in the photo. This research led to deep explorations in
subjects such as history, economics, geography, advertising, immigration, entertainment and
culture. In a classroom setting, students would be encouraged to locate old family photographs
that could be used as in their own single-image digital stories. More information about single image
digital stories and examples may be found online at:
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/example_stories.cfm?categoryid=22

To further assist educators who wish to teach digital storytelling, a set of guidelines are presented,
based on lessons learned at the University of Houston (Author, 2012). These guidelines are
categorized within the instructional design framework known as ADDIE, an acronym that stands for
Analysis, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate. Since its development in the mid-1970s
(Clark, 2011), this five-step process has been widely used in business and education (Molenda,
2003). Each of the five steps in the ADDIE model clearly defines the tasks that are to be completed
(Cennamo & Kalk, 2005). A modified version of the guidelines that educators can follow with their
own students is shown in Table 6.

V. Digital Storytelling Software for Educators and Students

There are three major categories of software and technology tools that can be used in the creation
of digital stories: software programs that can be installed on a desktop or laptop computer,
software that can be used through a web-based interface and applications that run on smartphones
and tablet computers.

a. Commercial Software

The software that comes pre-installed on many desktop or laptop computers may be a good choice
for those just starting out with digital storytelling. Windows Movie Maker for Windows and Apple
iMovie for Mac are both extremely popular and relatively easy to use. Other software options for
desktop and laptop computers include Adobe Premiere Elements and even Microsoft PowerPoint.
Numerous tutorials and how-to guides are available on the web that demonstrate how to use these
tools.

b. Cross-Platform Open Source Software

In addition to commercial software, open-source options that can be used to assemble and edit
digital stories are available for free for Windows, OSX and Linux-based operating systems. Two of
the most promising software applications in this category are OpenShot and Shotcut. OpenShot
(downloadable from: http://www.openshot.org/) is a timeline-based video editor that incorporates
multiple track editing and offers basic features such as fades, transitions and audio editing. Shotcut
(downloadable from: https://www.shotcutapp.com/) is similar to OpenShot, but appears less
polished and more of a work in progress. Shotcut includes many of the usual editing features
including a multitrack timeline, cross-fading, transitions and filters, but lacks some of the
commonly expected simple and intuitive options such as easily resizable windows, non-confusing
icons, and functions that are not buried deep in menus, making them difficult to find. The benefits
of open source software such as OpenShot and Shotcut, beyond the fact that they are available for

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free, is that they are usually created by one or more enthusiastic software developers who
continuously strive to make improvements, often based on user feedback. For digital storytellers on
a budget or those who like to experiment with new software options, these may be worth
investigating.

c. Web-Based Software

Although there are a number of web-based tools that can be used to create digital stories, WeVideo
(https://www.wevideo.com/) is one of the most popular video editing programs that can be used
through a web browser. Launched in 2011, each new version of the WeVideo interface adds
features that bring it closer to desktop versions of video editing software. It is an excellent choice
for schools that use computers running different operating systems (such as Windows and
Macintosh) since it works identically on both platforms through any popular web browser. WeVideo
includes a series of lessons and tutorials called WeVideo Academy, which is online at:
https://www.wevideo.com/academy

A number of other web-based tools that can be used for digital storytelling are available, many at
no cost. An excellent website that describes many of these options may be viewed at:
https://50ways.wikispaces.com/

d. Mobile Tools

With the growing popularity and affordability of smartphones and tablet computers, an increasing
number of apps are now available that can be used to create digital stories. Some of these tools,
such as iMovie for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, are from well-known technology companies. Other
less well-known apps, such as Storyrobe for Apple’s iOS and Com-Phone Story Maker for Google’s
Android mobile operating system are reasonably priced, or even free. Information about these and
other mobile apps may be found online at:
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/listpage2.cfm?id=22&cid=22&sublinkid=87

VI. Learning More about Digital Storytelling

For those who wish to integrate digital storytelling into their teaching and learning, we recommend
that they first explore the digital storytelling process and then learn how to use specific hardware
and software tools to create a digital story. Educators may then wish to pass this knowledge along
to students through activities, such as class assignments or for extra credit. The Educational Uses
of Digital Storytelling website (http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu) serves as a comprehensive
clearinghouse of information for those just starting to use digital storytelling as well as for
educators, graduate students and researchers who want to explore the many facets of this
educational technology practice. The site contains example digital stories, tutorials, links to e-
books, websites, articles and research studies.

Digital Storytelling MOOC (Massive Open Online Course)

Another way to learn more about the digital storytelling process is by participating in a Massive
Open Online Course or MOOC (Daniel, 2012). Powerful Tools for Teaching and Learning: Digital
Storytelling is a five-week MOOC created by the author and graduate students at the University of
Houston. It is offered on the Coursera platform either for free or at a relatively low cost
(https://www.coursera.org/course/digitalstorytelling). This online course presents an introduction
to digital storytelling and explores ways that this technology tool can be used to enhance the
learning experience. The MOOC provides a solid foundation in the basic components of digital
storytelling with tutorials, example digital stories and links to additional readings. The MOOC also
provides hands-on opportunities for learners to create their own digital stories as well as give and
receive feedback through a peer evaluation process.

Our MOOC was created by modifying the instructional content we use in our traditional digital
storytelling graduate course and is based on the realization that many of the MOOC participants
will know little about digital storytelling. All instructional materials in the course start with the
basics, follow a step-by step process and are designed for a population of participants who may
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The Power of Digital Storytelling to Support Teaching and Learning

speak English as a second language. All content presented in the MOOC is free of copyright
restrictions since non-profit educational fair use, which many educational institutions in the United
States rely upon, is not universally recognized around the world. Many of the instructional videos
from the digital storytelling MOOC are archived and independently available on YouTube without
participating in the course, at: https://www.youtube.com/user/brr2t

VII. Conclusion

Digital storytelling is a powerful technology tool that can be an effective activity in schools,
museum, community organizations, healthcare centers and more. The process of creating a digital
story, previously confined to desktop computers or laptops, is now possible with less expensive and
easier to use mobile devices and web-based tools that can be used by practitioners of all ages. The
digital stories that are being created can easily be shared online with others throughout the world
and viewed on computers, tablets, smartphones and an increasing number of digital devices. As
digital storytelling evolves, we expect to see even more individuals and groups find new and
innovative ways to integrate digital storytelling into teaching and learning activities across an
expanding universe of opportunities and possibilities.

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